Reactions
by Isakurai
Summary: Digital Devil Saga - Bat/Jinana - Bat didn't like a bit of that story about joining the Embryon. At the night of the day when Jinana firmed the team up with Serph, leader of the Embryon, Bat, still wounded from the severe fight against him, Heat and Argilla, tries to convince Jinana to give up on the alliance to defeat the Solids.


A/N: I wrote this around a year ago, and had posted it at dA, but I decided to move it here. Please forgive my English if there's anything out of place, as it is not my mother language. I hope anyone who reads this likes it as much as I do ^^ One of the fanfics I am personally most proud of.

Anyway, on to the fanfic..

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**Reactions **

"Go tend to your wounds" Jinana had said to Bat, and there was nothing else he could do but obey her. He _was_ really wounded, anyway.

He wasn't enjoying that thing of teaming up with the Embryon. That was just far beyond his boundaries as a true member of the Maribel. He simply couldn't trust them, he _wouldn't_ trust them. And what was that about their leader and that woman _Argilla_ have _pity_ of him? They probably were just deceiving Jinana so she would easily trust them. Ugh, Bat couldn't stand that thought; no, Bat couldn't stand _them_. Those rats from Muladhara only came to sniff around their quarrel with the Solids.

"Argh, those bastards!" Bat shouted, throwing his fist against a cushion in his bed. "I bet they intend to annihilate us after they're done using our help against the Solids! Two tribes reaching Nirvana? Tch! That's a load of crap!" his voice reverberated in the room in which he was, still resting from that afternoon's battle. He was alone, sitting on the bed. His wounds were now healing under the bandages, but still aching a little, especially to move, of course.

A sudden loud sound struck the room and the door opened. Jinana entered and quickly closed back the door behind herself.

"Hey" she said, coming nearer the bed. "You still mad at me?"

"Tch" Bat looked away from her. "And you're still teaming up with those punks. How could I not be anymore? Would my anger simply fade away? Oh, look! I'm just fine now! The Embryon can be trusted and _everything_ will be alright!" Bat faked a smile for her and became serious again. "Obviously, that's not happening."

Jinana was surprised at first, and then it seemed she was going to laugh, but she didn't. Instead, she just asked: "Why don't you trust them?"

"Pff. Well."

"Well what?"

"Well you know what's gonna happen after you defeat the Solids! Jinana, two tribes cannot reach Nirvana at once."

"I know. That's the law."

"So."

"So what?"

"So what that they will devour us!"

"What is this, Bat, you never talked like this before… Are you scared of them? And who said we're gonna let them do that? Do you not trust your own tribe?" Jinana put one of her hands on her waist and the palm of the other on the wall, leaning a bit over Bat, in a threatening way.

Bat was speechless. It was not like Jinana was right and that was why he didn't know what to say, but she could easily think that was that. Bat was a coward sometimes, and he was actually astonished by her reaction.

"You're a sissy, Bat, admit it."

"No, Jinana…" Bat laughed softly, embarrassed "It's not that, I'm just..."

"Scared."

"No! How could I be scared of those... rats! I just want you to know, we should be careful, and them…"

"Are you saying I'm not knowing what to do? Oh, gosh!" Jinana stood back and walked away "Bat, you're second in command here, but that doesn't mean you can come around telling me what to do!" She turned herself back to him "I know what I'm doing!"

Bat sighed upon seeing the pain in her face. "I know…" he said, with his head down "I'm sorry."

Silence filled the room, while Jinana put her hands in her head and turned to the other side again. Bat could be quite annoying and meddlesome most of the times, but he respected Jinana, and that was why he was so worried about what would come out of that alliance with the Embryon. Although… he had just awakened to emotions and didn't know the meaning of most of the things he was feeling. He also wanted to make her feel… protected. He wanted to show her he cared for her. And that was a completely new feeling to him.

"Jinana… " he took the courage to say, but almost inaudibly, lifting his head back. "I… I didn't mean to offend you. I'm just worried, that's all. I really care for you, Jinana. You know I'd do anything to make you happy."

"Happy…?" she came back closer to the bed.

"Yes. I want to make you feel that way." Bat moved a little to the side to give room for Jinana to sit beside him, and then gently put his arm around her.

"Is 'happy' a reaction…? Like 'sad'?"

"It's more of a... feeling." Bat was now becoming nervous. He wanted to make Jinana understand what he meant, but he couldn't say it, the words simply wouldn't come out of his mouth.

"A feeling? I see" she said, though it was clear she, too, didn't really know the meaning of that. Even Bat himself wasn't sure if all that caring for Jinana wasn't just a "leader valuing" reaction, all he knew was that… he wanted to have her close to him, so he would know where she was and be able to protect her.

Bat felt like something inside of him was about to come out or explode, but then he had the will to do something he had been wanting to, something he thought of doing, that he didn't actually know what it was, but that he had been curious about: he turned to her, pulled her face gently to him, making their faces be closer and closer until their lips touched, they closed their eyes slowly, and kissed. None of them would really comprehend how they knew what to do or how to proceed to _kiss_ each other, but they weren't thinking about that anyway. All they were concerned about was one another at that moment.

The kiss wasn't short, but not very long either. They stopped kissing but kept their faces very close.

"Bat…" Jinana whispered, in a way that startled him. "I'm not gonna give up on that alliance."

Bat didn't answer for a while. "Jinana…" he sighed, then they moved away their faces, and when he looked at her eyes, he saw they were different. They were not grey as they used to be – they were now as green as her hair. And it was beautiful.

"I can't, Bat. They proved to us how strong they are, and I made a promise. I can't turn back now" she said, and stood up when he tried to kiss her again.

"Jinana, I have an awful feeling about this…!" he held her hand to keep her there, but she forced him to let her go.

"I'm sorry, Bat. But now is not the time to trust in mere feelings or impressions." Jinana said and left the room, leaving only silence behind.


End file.
